


Dyin' ain't much of a livin'

by purplenerd777



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Background Relationships, Gen, Hurt No Comfort, Rein, The birth of a vigilante, Torb, end of overwatch, r76
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-12
Updated: 2017-07-12
Packaged: 2018-12-01 06:46:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11480907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/purplenerd777/pseuds/purplenerd777
Summary: Gabe looked like shit.No Gabe looked worse than shit. He wasn't wearing his beanie, his normally dark black curls were beginning to go grey like Morrison's hair had. His Blackwatch hoodie smelled like it hadn't seen a washing a machine in a month. And his eyes had more crows feet than a crow could possibly have.Jesse McCree gets asked to do something he's more than willing to do. Anything for the Commander who gave him a second chance. Anything for the organisation that was his second family. If only he had seen what was coming.





	Dyin' ain't much of a livin'

**Author's Note:**

> Title is from "The Outlaw Josey Wales" (1976)

"Hey Commander, what are you doing up so late?" Not that McCree was really be one to talk. He just got back from a three month long mission that dragged on through intel gathering only for it all to be blown out of the water. It ended sideways, as almost all Blackwatch missions were doing these days.

Gabe looked like shit.

No Gabe looked worse than shit. He wasn't wearing his beanie, his normally dark black curls were beginning to go grey like Morrison's hair had. His Blackwatch hoodie smelled like it hadn't seen a washing a machine in a month. And his eyes had more crows feet than a crow could possibly have.

"Ingrate." The word wasn't quite slurred but it was said with the boss' usual snap either.

"You look like you need some coffee. C'mon partner, let's go get you a cup of joe." And send you back to the Strike Commander's bunk so the both of you can get some sleep, Jesse added in his head.

"Before that," Gabe sighed long and slow and looked as if he was about to rearrange the beanie that he didnt have before he realised what he was doing. "Come into my office."

"Ok. Sure thing, Boss." Jesse followed Gabe into his office and was astounded by the mess he saw. Papers and files were strewn all over the Blackwatch Commander's desk. Old coffee mugs littered various flat surfaces and it looked like the man had thrown a few things across the room too.

Jesse tried not to psychoanalyse other Blackwatch members. And he never ever thought he would dare to do it to his commander. But being a black ops agent came with certain things. And after being in the buisness 12 years... well its not something anyone just shuts off.

"You need something looked after, Boss?" Jesse asked going to sit in the chair across from the desk before he found news paper clippings of... of Amari's death.

"McCree-" Gabe reached for the closest mug, taking a sip and making a face, before only barely gently putting it back down despite the dangerous cocktail of stress and super soldier strength. "Jesse. I've got... I've got a mission for you."

"Hell, I know there's no rest for the wicked but I just got off one hell of a mission, I havent even had time to file the report or nothin." Jesse said taking his hat off and holding it front of him.

When Gabe didn't berate him for questioning orders Jesse leaned forward. "What do you need?"

Gabe slunk down in his chair defeated. And wasn't that the last straw on Jesse's back. "Don't worry about."

"Boss, I got it. I'll do anything. What do you need?" Jesse looked down at the chair he usually occupied, now filled with the ghost of Captain Amari. He was pretty sure Gabe hadn't spoken to Fareeha in weeks despite being her favourite uncle. "Is it about-"

"I can't ask this of you, ingrate."

"Fuck that Reyes, I'm your SIC." _I'm your son_.

"Jack thinks I'm going crazy. Called it PTSD but" He shrugged. "Talked Angie into giving me a mental eval. Maybe I am, you know. Get stuck in the shadows too long you start to jump at everything."

"Boss, I learned a long time ago to trust you." Jesse refused to move the newspaper clippings so he sat with his back pressed up against the side of the desk.

"I need someone on the outside. Genji went off to find himself, Gerad was killed by... And Ana. FUCK!" Gabe slammed his fist on the desk some of the loose papers went soaring over Jesse's head before slowly floating back down.

Quieter the older man started again, "I don't want to ask you to do this Jesse. I know we're the only family you got left. But fuck, I can't let them get to you too."

"Who?" Jesse wasn't scared of Gabe. He knew in his gut this wasn't the ravings of a man on too little sleep jumping at things that weren't there. He knew better than that. And he had smelled the fishiness of it all too. Had tried to reach out to other but no one had listened.

Morrison had just brushed him off.

And if he had done that to Jesse one would have thought he would extend more courtesy to his lover.

Jesse remembered the bags under Gabe's eyes. Apparently not.

"I'm trying to figure that out." Gabe raised his head glancing around as if someone would be eavesdropping without two skilled black ops speacialists noticing, but he did press a small button, a mini EMP, if Jesse had to guess, that would fry any bugs in the office. "It could be Talon infiltrators, it could just be some of our guys turning coat, or it could go all the way up to the top."

Jesse didnt miss the quiet prayer of god I hope not.

"What do you need me to do?" Jesse pressed on gently.

Gabe sighed. And took a few moments. Let out another heavy sigh that he had been holding.

Then "I need someone on the outside in case this all blows to shit. I need someone who I can send information to without the possibilities of it getting traced by whoever's behind this."

"I can do that, Boss." Jesse said, hat still in hand his drawl added on thick.

"But-"

"If I know you, you've come up with contingency after contingency. So I ain't worried about whatever you are cause I know sure as hell you've got at least fifty failsafes to protect those still on your side. What you need is someone to watch your back when I'm not here."

In the low light of the full moon coming in through Gabe's blinds Jesse was able to see how thin he had become in the time since he'd last seen him. Stress'll do that to a man. Even a man who had gone through some comic book like experiments,

Gabe didn't answer which was enough of a response in and of itself. Instead, "But look, to make it look real you have to go rogue. And that means they're gonna be out for your arrest." Gabe looked real beat up over that. "I kept trying to get that stupid warrant gone but my reach only goes so far."

"Ain't no problem Boss, always wanted to be a real outlaw. 'Side we both know that I can be a real Eastwood when I want." Jesse said standing up and going into a deep squat to relieve the tension that rested in his knees.

Gabe may be older but Jesse wasn't getting younger neither.

"Idiot, you'll never the Man with No name."

"Who said I was going for that. Nah maybe I'll go Dirty Harry on ya."

Gabe let out a bark of laughter at that.

"So tell me the plan."

And so Gabe did. Had already gotten a safe house set up in the desert's of California. There would be monthly updates, they couldn't risk more than that. Gabe would smuggle information out that he would find while digging and Jesse would keep track of it all.

Do something with the free range he would have that even a clandestine black ops group wouldn't have.

Before Jesse left that night he gave Gabe a hug that lasted much longer than a commander seeing off his SIC and something more closer to a father praying that his son would be safer than the woman who was practically his second sister or the kind ballerina who never wanted to be involved in her husband's work.

And now here he was. Sitting in the unassuming safe house that Gabe had set up for him. Watching the news on an old tv from the early 2000s. Watching in horror as the only home he had since he was 14 went up in flames in a never ending loop as the screen warned that the images may be too violent for some audience members. Not quite hearing the reporters on tv, but knowing enough that he was livid.

"We're getting reports coming in of wounded and casualties. There has been no word yet as to whether Dr. Zeigler and her team have uncovered Strike Commander Jack Morrison, dead or alive.

As we said earlier the bomb appears to have gone off due to a coup led by Blackwatch Commander Gabriel Reyes. A reminder to the folks at home that this is happening only a year after the leaked files on Blackwatch, leading to the discovery of the secret black ops organisation. But also not sixth months after the death of Strike Commander Morrison's Second in Command Captain Ana Amari."

Coup.

They were calling it a coup.

A scream of rage tore from Jesse's throat as he struggled to pack his gear. He would go to Zurich himself and drag Reyes back from the grave kicking and screaming if he had to.

Then he looked down at his old communicator.

Despite being officially gone him and Gabe still figured it would be ok to hold onto it. Jesse had managed to turn off the tracking devices after all.

And that's when he saw it

_From: Gabriel Reyes_  
To: Ingrate  
Subject: If you get this...

_If you get this Jesse it's too late. Whatever had it's grip around overwatch squeezed us until we popped. I don't know what will happen after that but I can't imagine it'll be pretty. If you're getting any notions right now about doing something stupid I suggest you stand down. That's an order Jesse._

_Don't make the same mistakes._

_Reyes._

Jesse threw the communicator onto the battered old couch with a thunderous roar. "You damn old bastard! You... You... Fuck you!" Jesse sunk to the floor his hat in a disarray on his head and small patched of water forming on his flannel shirt. "Fuck you, old man." His head thumped against the back of the couch, a spring poking out tipped his hat off his head.

Jesse didn't do much for the next two weeks. He let his food supplies get dangerously low and listened numbly as every single media source, left, right, and moderate; they all smeared Gabe's name while holding up Jack and Overwatch as the pinnacle of good in all this despite the calls for its dissolution. Gossip rags and credible news sources alike saying Gabriel had always been jealous that Jack got Strike Commander. People who never even saw the inside of Zurich saying Gabe was gunning for Jack's job. That he would do anything. Even take Overwatch down with him.

Another day went by and he got another email.

_From: Lena Oxton_  
To: Jesse  
Subject: Funerals

_Hey Cowboy,_

_I dont know if you'll get this or if you threw away your communicator when you left, but I just wanted to let you know some things. I'm sure you saw when Commander Morrison's funeral will be, they're making a big event out of it, burying him in Arlington and there's talks of a museum going up near Zurich. But that's been all over the news and I bet you saw it even if you are on the run._

_But, Commander Reyes is going to be buried out by LA his sister says. And, it's gonna be a small funeral, she doesn't want protesters coming down and ruining it. But, I'm sure he would have wanted you there, Jesse. He may have been in an even weirder funk since you left but it would mean the world if there was more Torb, Rein, and me going out. A lot of people are believing the rumours, and it's not fair. Commander Reyes deserves innocent til proven guilty._

_I hope you're doing ok wherever you are, love._

_Cheers,  
Lena_

_Ps The funeral is on XX/XX/20XX_

And that was the moment that Jesse got out of his funk.

A week later he was in the small old cemetery on one of the few rainy days that LA ever sees. Lena was right it was a small ceremony compared to what had been televised for Morrison. Jesse recognised from a distance Gabe's older sister standing with her husband who was holding their son that didn't look older than three. And it wasn't too hard to spot Reinhardt in his suit and comically large handkerchief. Lena was there too, her chronal accelerator hidden underneath a black trench coat. And hell even Torb was there with his wife and little Brigette who wasn't so little anymore.

Fareeha wasn't anywhere to be seen but Jesse sure as hell hoped she wasn't believing the lies that kept refusing to die down. That she was just on a tour right now that wouldn't give her R&R. He couldn't let himself believe that his little sister would believe that Gabe would destroy evething he had held dear. She had to know otherwise. He hoped to God she did.

He didnt think about how his strong little sister might not be able to take the death of three of her parental figures. Her dad was still in Canada. Jesse had no one.

But Jesse kept his distance. He waited for the service to be over and the small crowd to disperse, Reindheart with Torb and his family, and Lena walking away with Gabe's nephew and brother-in-law.

Maya stood at the grave a few more moments but Jesse couldn't hear her over the sound of the heavy rain.

When she left Jesse waited another fifteen minutes before walking over to the small non-descript grave.

"Hey you old bastard, bet you don't recognise me with the new look huh? I told you I could pull off Eastwood. Gonna give the Man With no Name thing a shot. Also no one's probably told you this in a while but, you're a sentimental old bastard you know that?" Jesse's voice was starting to go rough from not talking so much and it sounded even worse when he was holding back tears. "Still can't believe you had the serape waiting in that safe house. Hell I even got chaps and spurs to complete the look. I'm keeping Amari's belt buckle though. Just to piss you off."

Water was pouring off the brim of his hat like a waterfall. Still didnt mask his tears none.

"I'm going to find out who did this Gabe, cause there ain't no way in hell that I'm believing the crap about you leading a coup against the organisation you founded with Ana and Jack. I won't. Hell even if you come back from the grave and tell me yourself I'll still have a hard time believin' ya."

Jesse took a shaky breath and held it before letting it go. Before he could break down completely he turned on his heel and headed off. Not noticing the man with white hair and a mask who came up to the grave after him.

**Author's Note:**

> I've been sitting on this work for a while now and I finally decided I'm just going to have to post it; that it'll probably never be perfect enough but I uploaded it anyway.
> 
> SO yeah Gabe in this huh? I couldn't figure out the right balanced of stressed and badass tactician who does what's best to save the world. If you could tell me how I did on that one. 
> 
> Another Jesse McCree story. 
> 
> (also I uploaded this on mobile so if there are any issues let me know)


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